The status of names and records of Australian macrofungi

On‐line, regularly updated lists are available for selected groups of Australian macrofungi and for most New Zealand fungi. Such on‐line lists not only provide information on names, but also act as a main reference point for general literature, especially in the absence of monographs for many groups. However, on‐line lists cannot be used uncritically because the status of names and records varies considerably. Status is explored through the concepts of take‐up and quality. Most species based on Australian types have been disposed among modern genera, but often are known only from the type. For species based on extra‐Australian types, numerous Australian records appear to be misapplied. Rather than provide a unidimensional coding system for status, it is suggested that on‐line lists provide for searching on as many informative fields as practical, so as to allow users to select the taxa of interest for their particular purpose.